Gust Walker MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 17
2019-11-07 - Number 131
2020-08-13 - Number 22
2020-09-26 - Number AKH-17
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Abilities | Exert |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Exerts for temporary flight, compelling tactical blocks or deterring enemy attacks to gain card advantage.
- Two mana cost for a scalable threat accelerates in-game resource impact efficiently.
- Presents unpredictability in combat, similar to instant-speed plays, adding a strategic layer.
Text of card
You may exert Gust Walker as it attacks. When you do, it gets +1/+1 and gains flying until end of turn. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)
"I'm never unarmed."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Gust Walker itself doesn’t draw cards directly, it can often force unfavorable blocks or deter attackers, which in some situations might lead to a 2-for-1 scenario, giving you an improved position in terms of card resources on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: Gust Walker is a cost-effective creature. For a modest investment of two mana, you get a creature that, when exerted, can become a significant player in your offensive strategy, effectively accelerating your resource impact without additional mana expenditure.
Instant Speed: While Gust Walker is a creature and not an instant, the ability to exert it during combat introduces a level of unpredictability akin to instant speed interactions. Opponents must constantly consider the potential of a 3/3 flyer during attacks, thereby giving you a tactical advantage similar to having an instant-speed trick up your sleeve.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When strategizing for optimal gameplay, managing your hand is crucial. A card like Gust Walker can sometimes be underwhelming if your battle plan involves maintaining a full grip of cards. This creature doesn’t have an inherent discard requirement, but its limited impact might indirectly cause you to discard other potentially useful cards to keep pace with your opponent’s threats.
Specific Mana Cost: Gust Walker demands a precise mana configuration which includes one white mana. While this cost is modest, it could still restrict this card’s integration in multicolored decks that value flexibility and the potential for a smoother mana base over strict adherence to a single color.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the current competitive environment, two mana for a 2/2 creature that requires additional resources to improve its abilities may not always be the best investment. Especially when considering that Gust Walker’s exert ability, which boosts its performance, isn’t free—locking it down for a turn. When comparing its utility and impact to other creatures within the same mana range, Gust Walker may fall short for some players looking for cards with immediate board presence or lower-cost creatures with similar or better abilities.
Reasons to Include Gust Walker in Your Collection
Versatility: Gust Walker offers flexibility for a variety of decks, especially those that emphasize aggression and tempo plays. Its ability to be a reliable two-drop and a potent threat in the air grants it a place in multiple strategies that value pace and evasion.
Combo Potential: The exert mechanic of Gust Walker synergizes with cards that react to tapping or untapping creatures, offering combo interactions that can leverage the exertion for gainful effects or to manipulate the battlefield to your advantage.
Meta-Relevance: As the metagame fluctuates, having a card that can apply early pressure and demand an answer becomes critical. Gust Walker shines in environments where its aerial threat can outmaneuver ground stalls or pressure life totals against slower deck archetypes.
How to beat
Gust Walker is an intriguing creature card in MTG that offers players the ability to exert it, granting it flying until end of turn. This means forgoing its next untap step to push for aerial superiority and potentially dodge ground blockers. Although this feature makes it formidable, there are numerous strategies and cards that can counteract Gust Walker’s effectiveness in a game.
Removal spells are your best countermeasure. Instant speed spells like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt can be cast in response to the exert action, eliminating Gust Walker before it even takes to the skies. It’s essential to have such removal spells handy to ensure Gust Walker doesn’t outmaneuver your defenses. Alternatively, cards that prevent creatures from untapping, such as Frost Lynx or Claustrophobia, can keep Gust Walker perpetually grounded, neutralizing its threat. For a broader approach, board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation will clear Gust Walker along with all other creatures, paving the way for you to regain control of the game.
By prioritizing efficient creature control and maintaining removal options, you can effectively limit Gust Walker’s impact and keep the battlefield in your favor.
Cards like Gust Walker
Gust Walker is a card that shines in the right deck, especially when synergies with exert mechanics are in play. It’s often compared to other two-drop creatures like Raptor Companion, due to their similar mana cost and power. However, Gust Walker offers the potential to become a 3/3 flyer, drastically changing its combat capabilities. This versatility in battle can overshadow the consistent but ground-bound Raptor Companion.
Another card worthy of comparison is Sky Terror. Both creatures can take to the skies, yet Sky Terror is innately a flying and menace creature, offering immediate and steady evasion. Gust Walker, while starting as a ground unit, holds the promise to strategically outmaneuver blockers with its exert ability, which could be more advantageous during certain board states.
In essence, Gust Walker presents a flexible choice for players who value the option to adapt their tactics mid-game. Its ability to toggle between being a reliable blocker and an aggressive flyer provides a dynamic edge over some similar two-drop creatures within MTG’s vast array of choices.
Cards similar to Gust Walker by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gust Walker MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Mystery Booster, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Gust Walker and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Gust Walker Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Jason Rainville.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 17 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 131 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville | |
| 3 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 22 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | AKH-17 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gust Walker has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gust Walker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can’t do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can’t be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared. |
| 2017-04-18 | If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature. |
